Geography fun facts and oddities: Difference between revisions

(→‎Physical geography oddities: moving 2004 chsristmas to tsunami section)
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=== Earthquakes ===
=== Earthquakes ===
[[File:2004 Indonesia Tsunami edit.gif||right|250pxthumb|2004 Indonesia Tsunami edit|alt=A sped-up animated graphic of Earth that shows tsunami waves as they ripple across the ocean, away from the earthquake epicenter (wiki)]]
* 5-largest recorded earthquakes by magnitude:
* 5-largest recorded earthquakes by magnitude:
# [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake 9.4-9.5 1960 Valdivia earthquake, Chile]]
# [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake 9.4-9.5 1960 Valdivia earthquake, Chile]]
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# [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami 9.1 2011 Dhoku, Japan earthquake & tsunami (wiki)]]
# [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami 9.1 2011 Dhoku, Japan earthquake & tsunami (wiki)]]
# [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1730_Valparaiso_earthquake 9.1-9.3 1730 Valparaiso, Chile earthquake (wiki)]]
# [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1730_Valparaiso_earthquake 9.1-9.3 1730 Valparaiso, Chile earthquake (wiki)]]
[[File:East vs West Coast Earthquakes USGS.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This map shows that East Coast earthquakes travel much farther than West Coast earthquakes of similar magnitude (wiki)]]
* see Tsunami section below for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
* see Tsunami section below for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
* '''2011 Virginia earthquake'''
* '''2011 Virginia earthquake'''
click EXPAND for details, map & earthquake video at top of the Washington Monument
click EXPAND for details, map & earthquake video at top of the Washington Monument
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
[[File:East vs West Coast Earthquakes USGS.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This map shows that East Coast earthquakes travel much farther than West Coast earthquakes of similar magnitude (wiki)]]
** this 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Louisa County, Virginia, was felt as far as New England, Canada, Michigan and Alabama and Florida
** this 5.8 magnitude earthquake, centered in Louisa County, Virginia, was felt as far as New England, Canada, Michigan and Alabama and Florida
** the reason the tremors were so widely felt is that the U.S. East Coast has extensive bedrock that transmits shock waves across extensive distances, whereas less geologically stable areas do not transmit shock waves as far.  
** the reason the tremors were so widely felt is that the U.S. East Coast has extensive bedrock that transmits shock waves across extensive distances, whereas less geologically stable areas do not transmit shock waves as far.  
* See [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake Virginia earthquake, 2011 (wiki)]]
* See  
* [[https://www.nps.gov/wamo/learn/historyculture/earthquake.htm Earthquake at the Washington Monument (NPS.gov)]]
** [[https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=A5735DA1-1DD8-B71C-071A90282FBD5764 direct link to NPS video of the event]]
** [[https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=193B19FA-4CAA-49AA-AD1F-5B4B21301951 footage from the top of the Monument during the tremors, tremors start approx min. 1:45 (NPS.gov)]]
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Virginia_earthquake Virginia earthquake, 2011 (wiki)]]
</div>
</div>
=== Rocks ===
=== Rocks ===
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click on EXPAND for more on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
click on EXPAND for more on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
[[File:2004 Indonesia Tsunami edit.gif||right|250pxthumb|2004 Indonesia Tsunami edit|alt=A sped-up animated graphic of Earth that shows tsunami waves as they ripple across the ocean, away from the earthquake epicenter (wiki)]]
[[File:Seisme Sumatra CADRE.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Epicenter and associated aftershocks]]
[[File:Seisme Sumatra CADRE.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Epicenter and associated aftershocks]]
* the earthquake was the 3rd-largest and single longest (8-10 minutes) ever recorded
* the earthquake was the 3rd-largest and single longest (8-10 minutes) ever recorded